MiWay suspends SMS campaign that broke FSB rules

[Hanno Labuschagne]

MiWay suspends SMS campaign that broke FSB rules

MiWay has confirmed that an issue with a third-party lead provider resulted in users being charged to opt out of marketing SMSes.

MyBroadband readers alerted us to the issue, which saw their airtime balance being charged for their opt-out response to the following SMS:

[Name], want to see if MiWay can beat your current car insurance premium? Reply YES for a quote. NO=OptOut. Std rates & T&Cs apply. Licensed STI&FSP 33970.

Two different users showed proof of receiving this SMS on 9 June, and one showed MyBroadband proof that they had been charged when replying to the SMS with the word "NO".

 

[krieg]

Since when is it free?

 

[ActivateD]

We never opted in so why must we opt out?

 

[quovadis]

“We have traced the origins of the SMSes and found that a third-party lead provider sent the SMSes but had unwittingly failed to zero-rate the ‘opt-out’ responses,” MiWay explained.

How is it that a "lead provider" can act as if they're Miway using their FSB no. etc and there are no repercussions? It seems its now completely ok for these lead providers to even call you and say "Hi, I'm calling from Discovery to offer you..." but then it turns out it's some 3rd party? Mybroadband should have a look into these practices.

Added: I'm also not sure how Miway doesn't get that their "lead provider" is acting as them directly and thus they should perhaps consider that they are responsible for the practices of the third party.